For those that left the UPC...

[seekerman]

Originally Posted by Sam

You won't find that (the sweating, pleading, man-handling, hollering, spitting, chin grabbing, pummeling "Pentecostal hazing ceremony") in the Scriptures. That's our man-made method.

In Acts chapter 2 the Holy Spirit filled about one fourth of the early church as they were sitting.
There's no record of whether or not the other three fourths (I'm speaking of the over 500 who were witnesses of Jesus' resurrection) ever did or did not get baptized in the Spirit.

In Acts chapter 8 the Holy Ghost baptism was given in Samaria by the laying on of hands.

In Acts chapter 8 the Holy Spirit fell upon the eunuch as he was in the water according to some manuscripts and readings.

In Acts chapter 9 it seems that the Holy Spirit baptism was ministered to Saul by an almost unknown disciple named Ananias by the laying on of hands.

In Acts chapter 10 the Holy Spirit fell upon people as they were listening to the Word being preached.

In Acts chapter 19 the Holy Spirit was ministered to a group of about dozen when the Apostle Paul laid his hands upon them.

So, in my opinion, there is a post-salvation experience in the Holy Spirit called by various terms such as
a baptism in the Spirit,
a filling with the Spirit,
the Spirit coming upon,
receiving the Spirit,
the Spirit falling upon,
being clothed or endued with power
mentioned several times in the Book of Acts. This experience seems to come or happen a couple different ways but laying on of hands (not always by an apostle) seems to be more common (three out of the above 6). There are also places in the book of Acts where conversions are recorded but there is no word of a subsequent (HGB) Holy Ghost Baptism.

In my opinion, we need to be careful here not to get too dogmatic or to develop a doctrine that we use to designate heaven or hell as a destination.

In my opinion, there are folks that get saved and don't go on to another experience that we call the HGB (Holy Ghost Baptism). Your opinion may be different than mine.

My opinion is pretty well the same as yours. Thanks for the post.....good post, sam.